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| Full Body Mounts - Taxidermy Field Care |
Animals, coyote size and smaller, should be brought in whole. Do not
belly cut. Clean the specimen off, place a little paper towel in any
area where blood is seeping, such as a wound, mouth, nose, etc. to
absorb blood and keep it out of the hair or fur. Then place in a plastic
bag, tie shut and freeze at 0 degrees or below. If you have
experience skinning you can skin the small game the same as the
directions for the large game below.
First thing is to take good measurements. If the head area will be
skinned as well:
It also helps to measure from the back corner of the eye, to the base
of the horns or antlers. Whether your skinning the head or not, the
rest of the measurements must be taken.
We prefer in most cases on life size mounts to have them case
skinned (Rolled down, inside out like pulling off a sock). If your
specimen would best be belly cut, then follow the directions for
skinning a rug.
You start with a "Y" cut. Make a cut down the inside of both rear legs,
when you meet. Slowly work your knife down heading towards the tail,
keeping it centered. Stop your incision just short of the anus. Now
go back and saw or snip through the bone at the base of the tail to
separate it from the body. Carefully start working your hands and
knife between the skin and muscle to separate. Keep working skin
around both sides until you get to the belly. (Note- it helps if you are
able to hang the animal up by the rear end and let gravity help you
skin.) After you have separated the skin all the way around the body
at the belly, then start working down one of the rear legs. As you work
down the leg you'll see where the incisions you made earlier down the
trailing edge help. If you know how to skin out the feet, then carefully
skin out to the last joint of each toe. If not, saw through the leg before
each foot and let the taxidermist complete it. After you have
completed this, then do the same to the other rear leg, and then each
of the front legs in the same manner. After you have completed the
legs, continue working the skin around the neck, heading towards the
head continue carefully. Only skin the head if you have experience,
and have taken measurements. If not saw through the neck and
separate 3 inches back from the start of the head. Now make an
incision on the bottom side of the tail at the base. Then work slowly
keeping it centered working to the tip. Carefully work around the bone
and remove. Now take the skin, clean off loose debris or blood and
bag and refrigerate or freeze immediately.
belly cut. Clean the specimen off, place a little paper towel in any
area where blood is seeping, such as a wound, mouth, nose, etc. to
absorb blood and keep it out of the hair or fur. Then place in a plastic
bag, tie shut and freeze at 0 degrees or below. If you have
experience skinning you can skin the small game the same as the
directions for the large game below.
First thing is to take good measurements. If the head area will be
skinned as well:
- Measure from the nose to front corner of eye
- Nose to back of skull, neck circumference a couple of inches
behind the head - If it has horns or antlers, measure from the nose to the closest
point on the left and right side
It also helps to measure from the back corner of the eye, to the base
of the horns or antlers. Whether your skinning the head or not, the
rest of the measurements must be taken.
- Measure down the top side following the contours of the body
from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail - Measure for the animals girth all the way around the largest
part of its rib cage.
We prefer in most cases on life size mounts to have them case
skinned (Rolled down, inside out like pulling off a sock). If your
specimen would best be belly cut, then follow the directions for
skinning a rug.
You start with a "Y" cut. Make a cut down the inside of both rear legs,
when you meet. Slowly work your knife down heading towards the tail,
keeping it centered. Stop your incision just short of the anus. Now
go back and saw or snip through the bone at the base of the tail to
separate it from the body. Carefully start working your hands and
knife between the skin and muscle to separate. Keep working skin
around both sides until you get to the belly. (Note- it helps if you are
able to hang the animal up by the rear end and let gravity help you
skin.) After you have separated the skin all the way around the body
at the belly, then start working down one of the rear legs. As you work
down the leg you'll see where the incisions you made earlier down the
trailing edge help. If you know how to skin out the feet, then carefully
skin out to the last joint of each toe. If not, saw through the leg before
each foot and let the taxidermist complete it. After you have
completed this, then do the same to the other rear leg, and then each
of the front legs in the same manner. After you have completed the
legs, continue working the skin around the neck, heading towards the
head continue carefully. Only skin the head if you have experience,
and have taken measurements. If not saw through the neck and
separate 3 inches back from the start of the head. Now make an
incision on the bottom side of the tail at the base. Then work slowly
keeping it centered working to the tip. Carefully work around the bone
and remove. Now take the skin, clean off loose debris or blood and
bag and refrigerate or freeze immediately.
